Going to School while collecting Unemployment? (apply, EDD, federal, biweekly)

[bishop-khan]

Originally Posted by Man with no job

I went through Wf1 in Florida, they are Paying 6000.00 for the school that offers the training I need. I am actively looking for work during the day and meeting all the requirements of U?C. I called U/C last week to ask about the extension U/C payment and I made the mistake and told the guy that I had a job offer but I could not take the job until I finish the training that WF1 is paying for and I get the required license from the state for the job. I told him I was going to school at night to receive training for the job and it would not effect my looking for a job or working if I find one. The guy told me he would make a note of it and put it in my file and told me that I did qualify for the next extension and should not be a problem. This was on Tuesday the day I claimed my weeks.
On Friday I checked my bank to make sure my U/C was paid and it was not there. I panicked because the U/C benefit is not enough to pay your bills with as it is and I will probably get evicted with out my check, like next week. It's sad to say but things are that close, I know most people can
relate. I called U/C and ask them why I did not get my check and they told me because I was going to school and I would not be able to look for a job as required by U/C. I told them that my going to school at night like in no way shape or form interferes with my job search and if I find a job if i have to will quit the school, I don't have a job that's the point of the training that the state is paying for. This is unbelievable. i ask to speak to his supervisor and he told me he had no supervisor and there's no one else to talk to. I ask him to tell me where in there paperwork, Website, or even in the Florida statutes or rules and regulations did it say that if I cannot find a job and I get approved training at night that would qualify me for a job with out effecting my required job search that you can just stop my check. He said look on the website. I did and there is nothing about it on there, not in the hand book or anywhere else.
I called them back and told him that. He said your case is going up before the review board and it's going take 4 to 6 weeks. I have been unemployed for a while, exhausted all my savings and if I go 6 weeks without income I will loose every thing i own and get evicted and be out in the street. You ever try to go to school or look for a job while living under a bridge.
I have worked my ass off all my life and paid for unemployment insurance it was taken out of my pay check every week and dammit I'm entitled to it to help me get by till I get back to work. As a matter of fact this guy that just made a decision to stop my check gets paid from the tax money they took out of my paycheck when I was working.
I think these are some very sick, mentally i'll people that are allowed to work for the state and make decisions and play games with peoples life like that. They need to be fired, tared and feathered, put out in the street, black balled with no chance of getting a job and then put in jail for vagrancy, extortion and crimes against the state. By the way if you happen to see me standing in one of the intersections in the street please drop some change in my cup. The bridge I'm going to have to live under is 12 miles from school and I'm going to need bus fare and pencils for school.

I recently started school I'm twenty one years old and I don't intend on working a blue collar job for the rest of my life (not that there is nothing wrong with that at all) but I have been receiving UC benefits for some months now but didnt realize I actually had to report I went to school since I didnt receive any letter asking me about it. I only go to school M,T,F and able to work the night shifts on those days and even the mornings on T,TH,S,SU I dont know what I should do. I need the benefits to pay my bills. I have been actively seeking work but here is Charlotte the chances of a HS graduate to find a full time job with no skills is very minimal (THE REASON WHY IM GOING TO SCHOOL IN THE FIRST PLACE). How do I go about letting them know Im going to school? Is not like I intentionally tried to commit fraud on the state, and its not like I'm a seasoned UC pro either. I need the money to stay in school and enhance my skills in order gain FULL-TIME employment and I dont plan on quitting school in order to fullfil some ridiculous rule just wants to put people down. And its not like Im trying to stay on UC forever either because as soon as I gain employment I will gladfully leave my benefits. Please any suggestions and comments that will help me in my situation.

[Striving_911]

I go to College Mon-Thurs for 1hr each day do I need to report this to unemployment? My state of residence is NJ.

Thanks!!

[Jane0218]

I would recommend to read the unemployment handbook you received.

If it doesn't say anything about being required to report that you are in school, then I would say it's not required. If it was required, then it should have also been asked as part of the original claim you created as well.

I would let sleeping dogs lie. But that's just an opinion, I'm not in any way telling anyone what to do. If it were me, I'd read through the handbook and see what it says and take if from there.

To Man with No Job: If you were given approval to go to school you should not have to be looking for work at the same time, but maybe each state is different in how it doles out its rules.

When I was approved for training, I got paperwork from the state that explicitly stated that while I was in school, I did not have to look for a job. Maybe you can find something in the paperwork you have.

[Honest1nVA]

HI! I too am losing my job through no fault of my own. I have to file a claim after Dec 31. I wanted to ask you what state you are in and how you go about getting unemployment to pay you AND pay you to go to school.
I am a receptionist at a militay base and the contractor I work for has no more work for me. Plus they are converting this job to a gov't position and I have to reapply. I have pretty much been told I won't get it since they have a mandate to hire vets and spouses of first.

I am 41 and have no degree. I have never had to file unemployment before and have no idea of the laws or regulations regarding being educated in a new field if I lose my job.

Can you give me any info on this? Appreciate it!

[Jane0218]

Originally Posted by Honest1nVA

HI! I too am losing my job through no fault of my own. I have to file a claim after Dec 31. I wanted to ask you what state you are in and how you go about getting unemployment to pay you AND pay you to go to school.
I am a receptionist at a militay base and the contractor I work for has no more work for me. Plus they are converting this job to a gov't position and I have to reapply. I have pretty much been told I won't get it since they have a mandate to hire vets and spouses of first.

I am 41 and have no degree. I have never had to file unemployment before and have no idea of the laws or regulations regarding being educated in a new field if I lose my job.

Can you give me any info on this? Appreciate it!

You didn't state to whom you were asking your question.

I can tell you that each state has their own rules and that some states, due to the economy, are giving out special monetary allocations towards college. I was in NY back in 1999 when I read through the entire unemployment handbook and found out, in small print, that I could go for a degree and continue to get unemployment. It might be in some places that you have to already be a student and have a degree chosen.

You really need to check with the unemployment office representative for your area/state to see what kind of training/schooling may be available for you.

[punky66]

I lost my full time job in June 2009 and started getting unemployment. I've been wanting to go back to school to get a career but never had the time, but then unemployment told me that I would continue to receive benefits as long as I was a full time student. I started what was SUPPOSED to be a one year program, but because of financial aid it's going to be 2 years, in July 2009. Now here it is over a year and a half later, I was getting benefits up until last month in February, when they wanted to sign me up for a second school attendance extension (the 1st one didn't last very long at all!), which I'm STILL waiting for a reply to know if I have been accepted for the extension or not! The worse part is...I have to start my 40 hour a week externship next month in April for 2 months so it's going to be really hard to go get a full time job and do a full time externship at the same time! But after my externship I will be done with school and I can go get a full time career!! How am I supposed to live for the next 2 months without any money?? Are you telling me I should quit school after I'm THIS CLOSE and go get some crappy dead end job and end up on unemployment again next year when another crazy thing happens?? Or go live on the streets in a cardboard box and die of starvation for 2 months just so I can finish school??

[Jane0218]

what are you getting your degree/certificate in? (just curious)

You could take out a student loan, and then if you're approved for additional u/e, pay back the loan fast.

[lilyflower7]

I've been doing an MBA part time since I've been collecting (and working off and on). Unemployment is aware and has stated that as long as I'm part-time and it doesn't affect my ability to accept a perm job it's not something I need to state. People going to school part-time must be common now since one of the questions states something like (if you're going to school part-time you can answer NO to the are you enrolled in school question)

[Jane0218]

That's interesting. What state are you in?

[lilyflower7]

I'm in New Jersey. It's weird because I got accepted to my program before I lost my job initially and when I started going I told them and they stated that it was okay if I was part time and at night and if it didn't interfere with taking a full-time job.